1342

Government Code and Cypher School: Signals Intelligence Passed to the Prime Minister, Messages and Correspondence

Reference

HW 1/1342

Date

2 February 1943

Government Department

Government Code and Cypher School

File Accession Date

1993

Description

A file of signals intelligence reports, messages, and correspondence issued by the Government Code and Cypher School and sent by the head ('C') of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) to the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. This file includes the following reports from BONIFACE, on North Africa: a situation report for the morning of February 1, noting that new Allied attacks are expected; a Panzer Army day report for January 31, stating that Allied thrusts west of Zuara were repulsed, and that Allied reinforcements were seen in the area between Sabratha and Zuara; and that the German Air Force's (GAF's) operational tasks include plans for a paratroop operation against a railway bridge at El Kebir; from BONIFACE, on the Russian Front: an air reconnaissance report from the 4th Air Fleet; a situation report for January 31, detailing heavy Soviet air raids on Rostov; that Soviet forces are preparing for an attack north east of Novorossisk, and advancing east of Voroshilovgrad; that the German 17th Army is to be evacuated from the Caucasus to Crimea, on February 28; that the importance of the Taman Peninsula as providing control of the Kerch Strait was stressed; that air supply to German Forces was not possible - and is the exclusive responsibility of the German Navy by Hitler's order; and that the 4th Air Fleet is preparing to evacuate the largest possible numbers of men, on January 30; from BONIFACE, a summary of reports for the Prime Minister (PM): that a great Soviet attack is expected on the Central Front in the near future, as of January 26; of defeatism in Hungary; that the Italian public is deeply affected by the loss of Tripoli; that a high proportion of Italian troops in Russia have been lost, and that the Germans complain of the low morale of the Italian troops; that the Japanese government is pressing Germany to establish an air line to the Far East - and that this is unlikely following the evacuation of Rostov, Taganrog and Mariupol; that the only line of retreat of the 17th and 1st Panzer Armies is across the Kerch Strait; and confirmation that Turkish neutrality was discussed at Adana.